After a week of upsets and breathtaking performances, the ATP Montpellier Open final is set for a blockbuster finish. Second seed Jannik Sinner will play surprise finalist Maxime Cressy in what should be a riveting match. Sinner will be gunning for his eighth ATP title, while Cressy only his second. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our prediction for the final. So who will come out on top on Sunday?
ATP Montpellier Final Prediction
Jannik Sinner vs Maxime Cressy
Head-to-head: Sinner 1-0 Cressy
It’s been six months since Italy’s Sinner last contested an ATP final. For a player who amassed four titles in a breakthrough campaign in 2021, that may seem like a mini drought. Sinner is back on final Sunday, having played two matches this week.
By virtue of being the number two seed, he received a bye in his opening round. And after his second-round opponent Marton Fucsovics withdrew at the 11th hour, he was made to wait for two more days before he struck a ball in Montpellier.
But when he did, he was clean and precise, toying around with compatriot Lorenzo Sonego in the quarterfinals. Sinner hardly broke a sweat as he eased past Sonego in straight sets. In the semifinals, the 21-year-old put the brakes on Arthur Fils’ fairytale run at his home tournament. Sinner won 7-5 6-2, converting three of his seven break points.
Cressy, for his part, arrived at the Montpellier Open with just three matches under his belt. But he put together a brilliant run that included excellent wins over the likes of Emil Ruusuvuori and Borna Coric. And in the semifinal, he claimed the upset of the week when he knocked out top seed Holger Rune, exacting revenge on his second-round defeat at the Australian Open to the Dane.
Cressy gave Rune no chance to settle, deploying his serve-and-volley style to great effect. Will the American put a capstone to this sizzling run by winning his second ATP title? It’s a matchup pitting one of the best servers in men’s tennis against one of the best defenders. But there is more to Jannik Sinner’s game than simply retrieving balls from the back of the court.
Sinner has a repertoire of attacking shots. Both his forehand and backhand unleash with the same speed. Sinner is also precise in finishing short balls. Cressy’s strategy will be to shorten points. He will always look to serve and volley to win cheap points.
But the precarious nature of his game will allow Sinner to utilize the open court and pass him. If Sinner will get a decent purchase on half of Cressy’s serves, he will make the American pay a hefty price. Overall, Sinner is the superior player and is rightly the favorite although on this surface and in these conditions, Cressy remains a formidable opponent.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Main photo credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
